Maḥram Bilqīs
Editor: Alessio Agostini; Jérémie Schiettecatte
Awwām Temple, plan
Catalogue 2000: 175
Catalogue 2000: 175
- Awwām Temple, plan
Catalogue 2000: 175 - Awwām Temple, peristyle plan
Phillips, Wendell 1955: 259
Image free from copyright - Awwām Temple, excavation of the peristyle
Phillips, Wendell 1955: fig. in front of pag. 257
Image free from copyright - Maʿdīkarib Statue. Awwām Temple.
Catalogue 2000: no. 136 - Awwām Temple. Miniaturist objects from the Necropolis.
Catalogue 2000: nos. 310-3
SITE INFORMATION
| Ancient name | ʾwm |
| Country | Yemen |
| Geographical area | Maʾrib |
| Governorate | Maʾrib |
| Kingdom | Saba Himyar |
| Coordinates | Latitude: 15° 24' 17.8" Longitude: 45° 21' 21.4" |
| Coordinates accuracy | certain |
| Type of site | Religious area with a necropolis |
| Tribe | Tribe: Bklm Tribe: Ḏmry Tribe: Fys²n Tribe: Ġymn Tribe: Hgrm Tribe: Ḫwln Tribe: Ḫwln Gddm Tribe: Ḥs²dm Tribe: Kdt Tribe: Rydt Tribe: S¹bʾ Tribe: S¹bʾ Khln Tribe: S¹mʿy Tribe: S¹mhrm Tribe: S²ddm Tribe: Tnʿmm Tribe: Yrs¹m |
| Deities | ʾlmqh(w) ʾlmqh(w) bʿl ʾwm ʾlmqh bʿl ʾwm w-Ḥrwnm ʾlmqh bʿl Mtbʿm w-Rwẓn ʾlmqh(w) bʿl S²wḥṭ ʾlmqh ḏ-Gblm ʾlmqh(w) Ṯhwn bʿl ʾwm ʾlmqh(w) Ṯwn bʿl ʾwm ʾlmqw ʾlw Zʿln ʿṯtr ʿṯtr ʿzz(m) ʿṯtr ʿzz ḏ-Gʾbm ḏ-Ṭrr ʿṯtr bʿl Bḥr Ḥṭybm ʿṯtr ḏ-Ḏbn ʿṯtr S²rqn ḏt-Bʿdn(m) ḏt-Bls³m ḏt-Ġḍrn ḏt-Ḥmym ḏt-Ḥmym ʿṯtr Ygr ḏt-Ẓhrn Hbs¹ Hwbs¹ Ḥgrm Qḥmm Khl ḏ-Lbṣll S¹ḥr S¹mydʿ S²ms¹ mlkn Tnf S²ms¹-hmw bʿlt qyf Rs²m S²ms¹-hmw bʿlt Ṣyḥyn S²ms¹y-hmw bʿlty Nhd Tʾlb Rymm Tʾlb Rymm bʿl S²ṣrm Ṯwr Bʿlm bʿl ʾwm Wdm bʿl-S¹mʿn-w-S²ʿbm Wll(m) Ys¹rn |
| Structures | Large temple Pilgrimage temple Graveyard Paved road Rock inscriptions |
| Language | Sabaic |
| General description | This important sanctuary of the god Almaqah is located to the SE from the Old Town. It has been the focus of the AFSM in the Fifties and again in the last years. The most imposing feature of this temple is the large oval area (perimeter 300 m) which is encircled by a massive wall (originally 13 high) built with fine ashlar masonry and casemate technique. This oval should have been the real fulcrum of the temple. The main access was through a monumental entrance, formed by a 8-pillars propylon followed by a squared building (24 x 19 m). The latter has an internal courtyard framed by 32 monolithic pillars. The perimeter walls are covered by stone slabs showing the 'false windows' motive. This area was probably full of inscriptions and dedicated objects and statues. A canal and a bronze basin should have been connected with purification rites to be attended before the ceremonies. A secondary entrance opens at W into the oval wall and allows direct access to the open precinct. Excavations have revealed many written texts, inscribed both on the external wall as well as in statue bases. The majority of them are concentrated in the second quarter of the 1st millennium BC, at the time of Sabaean apogee, but a second consistent group of inscriptions is however to be dated to the 4th century AD (western façade of the atrium) and within the 4th – 6th centuries AD (eastern façade). This indicates that this temple has been used throughout the pre-Islamic period and it have been regarded as the main South Arabian sanctuary, still being the pilgrimage destination (to be attended at the end of the summer) during the Himyaritic Empire. [By A. Agostini] |
MONUMENTS
| Some monumental funerary structures have been unearthed by the German Mission in the southern area surrounding the Awwām Temple. The stone built structures define a sort of town of the death which has been estimated to host around 20.000 burials during the long period of its usage (spanning 1 millennium, and considering the reuse of chambers over time). The long time span in which the necropolis was used created a sort of settlement in which the several structures were divided by narrow passages and streets. The structures have been erected with a refined technique using ashlar limestone blocks and they are multi-storey (up to four, with one below the street level). The internal divisions used less refined tuff blocks and designed chambers of about 2 x 2.5 m. Access was through the upper storey and wood or stone movable stairs were in use. The external walls have been sometimes also decorated with dentil frieze as well as low relief figuration of the dead's face, but the most frequent representation of the dead were still the stone stelae along with the variant set into a big limestone pillar with un upper recess for the head insertion. Amongst the grave goods particular significance have the miniatures of vessels and objects, generally a close reproduction of the original ones (these kind of objects have been found also in the Qatabanian necropolis of Ḥayd ibn ʿAqīl). This funerary complex can thus be assigned to the Sabaean upper class and, like the near temple, was in use from the 7th century BC until the 4th century AD. One of these structures stands out for its monumentality, and has accordingly been interpreted as a Royal Mausoleum: it is in fact a squared building, with 5 central pillars and several burial niches around, some steps lead to the very refined access. [By A. Agostini] |
The necropolis excavated near the Awwām Temple
Necropolis near the Awwām temple. Internal Street.
Funerary stelae from the necropolis of Awwām.
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RELATED SITES
| near Maʾrib (Mryb / Mrb) |
RELATED MATERIAL
| Epigraphs
in CSAI Objects in CSAI |
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